Python 3 versus Lua

How the programs are written matters! Always look at the source code.

If the fastest programs are flagged * possible hand-written vector instructions or "unsafe" or naked ffi, does the host language matter? You might be more interested in the less optimised programs — more seconds, less gz source code.

fannkuch-redux
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Lua	604.54	604.44	3,330	469	0.17
Python 3 #6	943.88	942.63	11,874	391	3.58
Python 3 #4	311.18	1,221.85	28,701	960	5.27
Python 3 #8	2,457.09	2,455.59	11,874	414	5.65
n-body
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Lua #2	216.21	222.12—231.65	3,269	1200	0.10
Lua #4	216.59	224.22—232.39	3,273	1312	0.18
Lua	244.50	250.36—259.88	3,273	1207	0.19
Python 3	372.41	371.23	12,198	1201	5.23
Python 3 #2	442.06	440.87	12,554	1247	5.24
Python 3 #8	529.38	528.16	12,497	1172	4.94
spectral-norm
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Lua	77.63	77.91—90.12	3,568	335	0.19
Python 3 #6	349.68	348.48	13,660	334	5.44
Python 3 #4	90.37	352.91	34,693	415	5.41
Python 3 #8	386.45	385.07	12,833	334	5.08
Python 3 #7	109.91	421.84	34,578	425	5.30
mandelbrot
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Lua #3	487.31	487.90—488.97	3,711	364	0.18
Lua	500.61	500.82—501.71	3,707	365	0.16
Lua #2	523.44	524.95—527.02	3,232	373	0.15
Lua #6	159.01	557.36—558.01	652,796	630	0.10
Python 3 #7	182.94	723.28	62,173	698	5.52
Python 3 #3	879.41	877.96	45,085	319	5.26
Python 3 #2	237.64	937.87	230,973	790	5.42
Python 3 #5	260.63	1,033.16	61,620	463	5.48
Python 3 #8	1,577.29	1,575.80	45,031	379	4.84
fasta
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Lua #2	24.14	24.33—26.33	3,686	1065	0.20
Lua #3	24.15	24.17—25.73	3,682	1065	0.18
Python 3 #3	39.03	38.30—47.80	12,218	1007	5.32
Python 3 #2	39.06	38.61—46.82	12,415	1126	5.21
Python 3 #5	27.95	54.20—54.96	1,190,347	1951	5.52
Python 3	57.39	56.94—65.76	12,100	823	5.06
Python 3 #8	153.17	153.78—158.43	11,915	738	5.04
k-nucleotide
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Lua #2	90.52	90.72—91.24	613,040	620	0.15
Python 3 #3	46.55	182.32—187.37	674,185	1970	5.68
Python 3 #4	76.67	233.00—239.32	523,751	663	4.89
Python 3 #8	234.08	235.36—236.89	642,265	525	5.15
Python 3	234.20	235.10—237.16	515,047	499	5.34
Python 3 #9	66.67	236.43—238.45	392,184	614	4.09
reverse-complement
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Python 3 #3	4.96	4.95	523,801	803	5.28
Python 3 #5	4.18	7.46—7.50	2,418,156	960	5.36
Python 3 #2	10.09	10.13—10.24	1,837,285	440	5.32
Python 3	10.43	10.43—10.59	2,040,713	484	5.28
Python 3 #6	7.59	11.07—11.11	2,795,930	821	5.37
Python 3 #4	13.47	13.44—13.88	4,109,324	343	5.05
Lua #2	38.73	38.89—39.62	2,724,770	560	0.18
Lua #5	42.84	44.40—45.94	2,227,048	758	0.20
Lua #4	46.06	46.12—48.03	653,398	600	0.18
binary-trees [ Contentious. Different approaches. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Python 3 #2	100.49	100.69—101.09	281,829	344	5.08
Python 3 #4	33.37	121.32—121.68	460,771	481	5.57
Python 3	34.85	123.08—123.98	445,649	597	5.16
Python 3 #5	35.37	125.71—126.12	806,117	669	5.30
Lua #2	142.32	145.28—148.96	1,043,743	418	0.13
Python 3 #3	51.88	148.91—149.87	819,077	1247	5.39
Lua #3	82.05	164.78—165.70	1,753,616	690	0.18
Lua #4	47.56	175.72—176.19	2,055,766	670	0.16
pidigits [ Contentious. Different libraries. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
* Python 3 #3	1.35	1.28—1.32	20,009	573	5.34
Python 3 #5	1.40	1.36	15,606	369	7.20
* Lua	2.99	3.02	24,666	482	0.13
Python 3 #4	4.63	4.60	12,718	348	4.88
* Lua #7		Empty
Lua #6		Empty
* Lua #5		Empty
regex-redux [ Contentious. Different libraries. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Lua	2.59	2.59	360,264	488	0.17
* Python 3 #2	1.41	2.65	191,300	1411	5.48
Python 3	8.96	16.47—16.75	459,624	515	5.47
Python 3	Python 3.13.0
Lua	Lua 5.4.7 Copyright (C) 1994-2024 Lua.org, PUC-Rio